New Start
by Mystic Storys
Summary: Ladybug and Cat Noir have found out each other's identities, now Marinette and Adrian are figuring out the new dynamic of their changed friendship. [Continuation of "Umbrellaed Fate" but can read as one-shot.]


_Flashback_

 _Marinette continued, "It's still going to take some time for things to feel normal again, but I just-"_

 _Before she could finish Adrian grabbed hold of her, causing her to drop the umbrella as he pulled her in for a tight, emotional hug._

 _"Take all the time you need," whispered Adrian, "I can wait."_

 _Somehow that was the moment Marinette had needed. Whether it was Adrian's words or the warmth she could feel from him holding her, Marinette finally felt at ease. As did Adrian as he felt the pull of Marinette returning his embrace._

* * *

Adrian and Marinette stood in the rain, and though they were cold and getting completely drenched neither of them could have been happier. Everything felt out in the open for them now and they were both ready to learn their new dynamic, as friends and partners, one day maybe even as more.

When they finally let go from there embrace the two just continued to look at each other and smile. Even though it had only been a couple of days since their reveal it had felt like a long time since they had a chance to be just near each other, even though normally it was as Ladybug and Cat Noir.

Eventually, the moment started to end as the rain began to recapture their attention. They both bent down to reach for the dropped black umbrella, causing their hands to touch.

It was such a small touch but somehow it felt as though it surged through their whole bodies, and made them momentarily look away in an attempt to hide their blushing faces. New dynamic or not, Marinette couldn't help how flustered Adrian made her feel and it seemed that Adrian was feeling some of that nervousness himself.

"I got it," Adrian said with a shy smile as he looked back at Marinette.

Marinette couldn't help the blushing smile that spread across her face after that look, all she could do now was stammer out, "Uh, thanks," as she stood back up and began fiddling with her fingers.

Once Adrian grabbed the open umbrella, he moved slightly closer to the dark haired girl, sheltering them both from the rain. And though she was feeling incredibly flustered, Marinette did have something she wanted to ask; "um so about all this…" Marinette knew what she wanted to say but she was having a hard time finding the words. "I-I think we should start fresh. Like getting to know each other and our alter egos as the same person to you know, get rid of the preconceived notions and stuff. Am I making sense?"

"I think that's a great idea," said Adrian, excited about the opportunity, "So how should we start?"

"Well if you want, you... you could wait for your driver at my house," Marinette suggested.

"That sounds great," he responded, happily.

"Great," she acknowledged cheerfully and sounding a bit relieved.

With the first step figured out the two began to make their way to Marinette's family's bakery, staying close together so they didn't get wet. Though with everything feeling new and different the pair were left to wonder how to talk to each other again.

"So earlier," asked Adrian humorously, breaking the silence, "what was it you were saying about 'guy I have a monster crush on?'"

"Wha-What are you talking about," she began stammering, "y-you must have been hearing things." Marinette was not excepting that, in all honesty, she was hoping he wouldn't remember, or better yet not have heard it at all.

"So the person that was keeping M'Lady uninterested in me was me," Adrian inquired in a tone one could expect from Cat Noir.

"You know I would never have guessed that Adrian Agreste was really such a dork," commented Marinette as she playfully pushed his side causing the blonde to let out a chuckle.

"Well, I'm ashamed that I didn't piece together that someone as kind and selfless as Marinette Dupain-Cheng could be a superhero," said Adrian, causing said girl to blush.

"See I totally called it from the start," chimed in Plagg, peaking out of Adrian's shirt, "you two are total love birds."

"Quiet Plagg," said an embarrassed Adrian, forgetting about the noisy kwami.

"Really," said Tikki as she looked out of Marinette's bag, "you just ruined the moment."

"Tikki," exclaimed Marinette, not expecting her kwami to join in.

"Sorry, but you know I'm right," responded Tikki.

"They really are two of a kind," said Adrian, while wondering what the other kwami was like.

"No kidding," agreed Marinette adding, "but I guess that should be expected after a few thousand years."

"Yeah, you're probably… wait a few _thousand_ years," Adrian asked, shocked by the new information.

"Yeah we've been around since before even ancient Egypt, didn't I mention that," Plagg remarked casually.

"No, somehow you managed to tell me the history of cheese but not about you or my powers," Adrian told his kwami frustratedly.

"Well I'm old, there's only so much I can remember," retorted Plagg.

"Seriously," Adrian said starting to feel annoyed, that is until he started to hear giggling.

"You two really are quite the pair," said Marinette through laughter.

"Yeah, I guess they're pretty easy to get comfortable around," Adrian agreed while awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

"No kidding," Marinette respond, "it's only been a couple months, but sometimes it feels like I've always had Tikki by my side."

* * *

Before long the pair, along with their kwamis made it to the bakery where Marinette and her family lived. But before they entered there was still something Adrian urgently wanted to know, "Hey can I ask you something, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I just… it's just that..."

"Usually it's Marinette that gets all nervous and stammering," commented Tikki.

"Trust me," responded Plagg, "this is not that abnormal for him. Sometimes he rehearses in…"

"Plagg!" Adrian exclaimed, embarrassed by his kwami.

Once again Marinette began to giggle; she couldn't help but find the new dynamic between the four of them amusing. "What was it that you wanted to ask?"

"Well," Adrian tried to find his words, but it was hard, "I was wondering why… well why were you avoiding me, I mean earlier you said you weren't disappointed, and I'm just... I'm curious about what it was."

Marinette tried to think through her answer, but she knew the only way to go was to tell the complete truth. "Honestly, at first I was just really, really embarrassed; in me and in you finding out that Ladybug is me. But then later I think I was more scared... scared that I'd disappoint you or that you'd reject the fact that it's me."

"I want to tell you how insane that is but more than that, I want you to know I totally get," Adrian said as he placed his free hand on Marinette's shoulder. "I think I had the same fear. I was desperate to talk to you but part of me was terrified of your reaction. I mean I was confident that you would say something nice but I was scared that you'd look at me differently, with disappointment or resentment."

"That would never happen," Marinette instantly responded, looking Adrian in the eye.

"I know that now," the boy said with a smile, "I knew the moment I looked into your big, blue eyes and saw that they were as bright as ever."

And once again Marinette couldn't help but blush intensely due to Adrian's kind words; she always just felt flustered. "We... um, we should proba-probably head inside," she stammered

"Yeah," said the blonde gently as opened the door to the bakery, "after you M'Lady."

"Why thank you," Marinette responded as casual as possible.

"I'm home," called out Marinette when she entered the bakery.

"Welcome home sweetheart," responded Mrs. Cheng as she and her husband emerged from the back kitchen.

Marinette went up to her parents to greet them with a hug that they joyously returned.

Adrian stood behind Marinette just smiling as he admired the happy family. When the Dupain-Cheng's finished welcoming their daughter home he finally waved and said "Hi, Mr. Dupain. Hi, Mrs. Cheng."

"Hello, Adrian" greeted Tom with an outstretched hand that Adrian happily accepted.

"You two are soaked," commented Sabine when she got a better look at the two kids.

"Yeah I may have dropped the umbrella while caught in the rain," explained Marinette, causing a new smile to appear on Adrian's face at the memory of recent events between the pair.

"Anyways," Marinette began before her parents could comment, to ask, "is it okay if Adrian waits for his ride here?"

"Of course," responded Tom after looking to his wife who had nodded in agreement, "there are some fresh cookies upstairs, and a pie in the oven."

"Wow that awesome, thank you so much," said Adrian in gratitude for being able to stay, but especially for a chance to have some more of Mr. Dupain's famous baked goods.

"But be sure to dry yourselves off first," instructed Sabine, "you two don't want to catch a cold."

"Okay mom," responded Marinette. With all that said she led Adrian upstairs.

* * *

"I'll go get us some towels," said Marinette as she opened the door to her family's apartment, letting herself and Adrian in, "feel free to make yourself at home."

"Alright," responded Adrian, oddly enough it wasn't hard for him to feel comfortable in their apartment. It was small compared to his house or mansion as most people call it, but somehow it just made it feel more... like a home.

"Oh I forgot to ask," remembered Marinette turning back to ask, "does your kwami, uh I mean Plagg, have any food preferences. Tikki has a total sweet tooth, sometimes all she'll eat are chocolate chip cookies."

"Camembert is the only thing for me," said Plagg, flying out of Adrian's shirt, "but don't worry Adrian's got me covered, I made sure he brought double the usual."

"You're still on that cheese diet," chimed in Tikki, coming out of Marinette's bag.

"Seriously," Adrian pouted, "you mean I'm the only one that has to deal with that rank cheese."

"Well the tradeoff is super powers," Marinette commented, "so smelling a little funky seems worth it."

"That's debatable," joked Adrian.

With that figured out, Marinette went upstairs to grab the towels. While she was gone Adrian grabbed his phone to tell his dad where he was and ask him a favor.

 _Text_ :

 _I'm waiting at a friend's house, at_ _Boulangerie Patisserie_ _across from the school. Since I don't have anything scheduled I'd really like to stay awhile. Please, Father. ~Adrian_

 _Reply_ :

 _Alright._

"Yes," said Adrian with an involuntary fist pump, after getting his father's response; to most, it wouldn't seem that big of a deal but one could never be sure when it came to Gabriel Agrest. Not wanting to deal with any chance of his father changing his mind, Adrian silenced his phone and shoved it into his bag.

"Hey, I got the towels," called out Marinette as she reentered the room, "found a couple spare throws too."

She handed one of each to Adrian, which he gladly accepted with a "thank you," and one of his charismatic smile.

"So what do you want to do while we wait," asked Marinette, taking a seat next to the boy on the couch.

"Well since we have already established that I'm a dork," Adrian began, "I guess it's okay to suggest we watch the Anime Channel."

"They are playing reruns of Dragon Ball Z and it's like one of my top 5 favorite anime of all time," he admitted, sounding more excited with every word.

"No way mine too," cheered Marinette, "right after Code Geass and my guilty pleasure, Fruits Basket."

"No guilt required that series is iconic," reassured Adrian, "I think it was one of the first series I ever watched; it was my mom's favorite."

"My mom's too," said Marinette, causing Adrian to smile about the similarity, "my dad got us both hooked when I was like 3."

"My mom did the same with me," Adrian said, happy to reflect on the memory, "except I don't think she or my dad were prepared for how into them I'd get."

"Same with me," agreed Marinette, "they just get you hooked-"

"Every time," said the two, loudly in unison; they couldn't help but laugh about their mutual overexcitement. It was unexpected but bonding over their enthusiasm for anime, and being able to share their opinions with each other, it just made them both really happy.

"I would never have pegged you as an anime fan," noted Marinette, "well Cat Noir maybe, but never Adrian."

"You're kidding me right," Adrian responded as if the very notion was insulting, "how can I not be-"

The two kwamis sat away from the pair, over on the coffee table, enjoying their individual favorite snacks while they watched their partners bond over anime. Eventual they began to slip into conversations about other things they found to have in common and debated over the things they didn't; from movies to books to school to favorite places in Paris. It seemed as though they were long forgotten friends finding their way back to each other.

"Well that didn't take long," commented Plagg, glad to see Adrian full of life.

"No kidding," replied Tikki, happy to see Marinette smiling again, "looks like their finding their footing."

"Master Fu really did make an excellent choice," stated the black cat.

"Yeah," said the little bug, "those two are made for each other."


End file.
